Instagram could offer a novel way of monitoring the drinking habits of teenagers.

Using photos and text from Instagram, a team of researchers from the University of Rochester has shown that this data can not only expose patterns of underage drinking more cheaply and faster than conventional surveys, but also find new patterns, such as what alcohol brands or types are favored by different demographic groups. The researchers say they hope exposing these patterns could help develop effective intervention.

One Response to “Data mining Instagram feeds can point to teenage drinking patterns”

I think we should crowd fund a prize for the legal scholar who is able to find a clear statement in Instagram’s “Privacy Policy” that says the users’ personal photos would be used for the purpose of manipulating their personal behavior. If they can find it, it should something like this:
“Instagram can tell from your photos what kind of person you are and reserves the right to tell others about your behavior so that they can try to change it.”